There's an Important Reason Why Preschoolers Say What They're Thinking Out Loud
Written By Savvy Auntie Staff Writers
By Katelyn Fry and Savvy Auntie Staff Writers
Ever notice when a preschool niece or nephew is playing or working on a task, they often talk it through out loud, whereas typically, as adults, we keep our thoughts to ourselves? According to Louis Manfra, assistant professor in the College of Human Environmental Sciences at the University of Missouri, in a study reported on in Science Daily, that while it’s important that children think through their actions as it supports their cognitive development, saying them aloud adds another level of cognitive development.
By talking through their tasks, whether at play, tidying up before bed, or choosing the bedtime book they want Auntie to read to them, preschoolers begin to learn to correct their speech errors - whether or not anyone else is listening.
Manfra’s study required toddlers between the ages of three and four to work with building blocks in a problem-solving task known to prompt speech. Manfra found that the “children made errors and repairs both while talking through the task with another person and alone, providing evidence that they monitor speech for themselves, just as adults do.”
Manfra further explains that this self-correction is important because “children who do not repair their speech may not benefit as much from their private speech as children who consistently repair their private speech.” In other words, the more a child vocalizes his or her errors and solutions, the more likely they are to learn from them and apply what they learned to future challenges. Essentially, in thinking out loud, children are teaching themselves.
Say It Aloud!
Manfra advises that parents and caregivers [AKA Savvy Aunties] “encourage preschool-aged children to monitor their private speech by demonstrating such behavior in their own aloud private speech.” Doing so, Manfra says, “will help children realize that even without a listener present, speech errors should be corrected.”
So, next time you are with a young niece or nephew and thinking about a task at hand, like deciding which puzzle piece to choose next, or which coat to wear before heading outside to jump in the leaves together, say it aloud. Your preschool niece or nephew will mimic the behavior, and learn and develop just by being around you.
Photo: Chepko Danil Vitalevich
Published, October 25, 2016